CHICAGO -- All told, the Gary S¨¢nchez experiment lasted six days, three games and seven plate appearances.

Rather than keep S¨¢nchez on the roster and carry three catchers, the Mets on Thursday designated the veteran for assignment, possibly ending his time in the organization. The move corresponded with Tom¨¢s Nido¡¯s activation from the injured list following a multiweek bout with dry-eye syndrome.

¡°We tried to do some things while Tom¨¢s was out,¡± said manager Buck Showalter. ¡°Now Tom¨¢s is back, and we¡¯re going in a different direction. We¡¯re trying to make the club as good as it can be each day. I think it is now with Tom¨¢s back.¡±

Nido will resume his regular role as the Mets¡¯ backup catcher behind Francisco Alvarez, whose recent hot streak played at least some factor in the decision to DFA S¨¢nchez. Entering Thursday¡¯s series finale at Wrigley Field, Alvarez had homered three times in four games to produce a 1.687 OPS over that stretch. His slash line in May was .294/.379/.667, placing him among the game¡¯s top offensive catchers.

¡°Francisco is doing well,¡± Showalter said, lauding Alvarez¡¯s defense as well as his contributions at the plate. ¡°It¡¯s just the combination of getting Tom¨¢s back and [Alvarez] doing well, too. Our depth is good there at that position.¡±

¡°I¡¯m a huge fan of him,¡± Nido added. ¡°I¡¯ve always been. I¡¯ve always told him he belongs here.¡±

The Mets now have seven days to trade S¨¢nchez (unlikely) or place him on outright waivers. While S¨¢nchez may agree to go to Triple-A Syracuse in the absence of better opportunities outside the organization, the Mets cannot force him to do so. If S¨¢nchez wants a release, the Mets must grant it. He was previously released this year by the Giants, before the Mets scooped him up on a Minor League deal that became worth a prorated portion of $1.5 million once he made the big league roster.

S¨¢nchez, 30, last played regularly in the Majors for the Twins in 2022, batting .205 with a .659 OPS over 128 games. He is four years removed from his most recent All-Star season with the Yankees.

¡°I¡¯m not sure what Gary¡¯s plans are from here,¡± Showalter said.

As for the Mets, the team will roll with a catching tandem of Alvarez and Nido for approximately the next two weeks, until Omar Narv¨¢ez is ready to return from the injured list. The team¡¯s starting catcher entering the season, Narv¨¢ez strained his left calf early in April and has been sidelined ever since, but he began a Minor League rehab assignment Thursday with High-A Brooklyn. He¡¯s eligible to return from the IL on June 5 and should be activated on or around that time.

Once Narv¨¢ez returns, the Mets will need to figure out how best to split time between him and Alvarez. They also must determine the long-term future of Nido, who signed a two-year, $3.7 million contract last offseason to buy out his remaining arbitration years. Carrying three catchers is an option, especially given Alvarez¡¯s potential as a part-time designated hitter.

But with that decision still more than a week away, the Mets aren¡¯t sweating it.

¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Showalter said. ¡°Omar¡¯s not too far down the road, hopefully, but sometimes things change. Maybe he¡¯s not ready in 11 games or whatever it is. We¡¯ll see. I¡¯m glad we went down that [S¨¢nchez] path, and I¡¯m glad Tom¨¢s is back.¡±